Saving Israel’s Newborns: Mayanei Hayeshua’s Urgent Need for New Transport Incubators
- IMFoC
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
In the heart of Bnei Brak, Mayanei Hayeshua Medical Center stands as a symbol of compassion, innovation, and resilience. Since its humble beginnings in 1990—when the late Dr. Moshe Rothschild fulfilled his lifelong dream of opening a maternity ward—the hospital has grown into a full-fledged 500-bed general community hospital, serving families from Petach Tikva, Givat Shmuel, Bet Shemesh, and far beyond.
Its Mother and Baby Center is today one of the largest in the world, delivering over 12,000 babies every year—that’s about 1,000 babies each month, a number that surpasses even the largest birthing centres in Canada.
But for many of these newborns, the journey into life doesn’t begin smoothly. Premature births, early infections, or respiratory complications can turn a moment of joy into a medical emergency within seconds. For those fragile lives, the difference between survival and tragedy often comes down to the availability of advanced neonatal technology—specifically, the hospital’s transport incubators, which ensure babies can be safely moved from delivery rooms to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) or, in times of crisis, to the hospital’s fortified underground facility.
A Hospital Born from Purpose, Now Tested by Reality
Mayanei Hayeshua’s mission has always been clear: to combine world-class medicine with cultural sensitivity and humanity. Its modern Neonatal Department includes a 21-incubator NICU and a 40-crib neonatal unit, designed to give every infant the best chance at life. Yet the hospital’s reality, like that of much of Israel, is shaped by circumstances far beyond medical challenges alone.
Following guidance from the Ministry of Health, Mayanei Hayeshua was designed with a rocket-protected underground emergency hospital, capable of transforming its parking structure into a fully operational medical facility within hours. During the recent war with Iran, this foresight proved invaluable. As missiles targeted civilian areas and hospitals, Mayanei Hayeshua staff were forced to relocate dozens of critically ill newborns into the underground NICU for protection.
That experience revealed a critical weakness in the hospital’s preparedness: the outdated transport incubators—vital, mobile intensive care units on wheels—were no longer fit for purpose.
The Voice from the Front Line: Dr. David Gryn
Dr. David Gryn, one of Mayanei Hayeshua’s senior neonatologists and a proud Canadian by origin, has seen firsthand how essential this equipment is. In his own words:
“We deliver 12,000 babies a year here at Mayanei Hayeshua—more than any hospital in Canada. Some of those babies run into trouble and rely on our expertise and technology to make the adjustment to life outside the womb. One of the most important tools we use is the transport incubator. It’s essentially a house on wheels, providing heat, oxygen, and protection during movement.”
But the hospital’s current incubators are aging and increasingly unreliable. “We’ve made them work for us,” Dr. Gryn explains, “but during the recent conflict, when we had to move babies into our underground NICU, it was very difficult. There were problems with space, the battery life, and keeping everything stable during the transfer. That’s when it became clear—we need to upgrade.”
Dr. Gryn and his team had the opportunity to trial a new generation transport incubator a few months ago. The difference was transformative. “There was more space, better temperature control, tighter oxygen regulation, and advanced shock absorbers—critical for premature babies,” he says. “Research shows that maintaining optimal temperature and oxygen levels during transport has a measurable impact on newborn survival rates. These upgrades aren’t just conveniences—they save lives.”
Why the Right Equipment Matters
For most people, an incubator might look like a small box with wires and tubes. But for neonatologists, it’s a micro-world that mimics the womb—a controlled ecosystem of warmth, humidity, oxygen, and monitoring. A transport incubator adds another layer of complexity: it must provide all those functions while being portable, battery-powered, and resilient to motion and environmental changes.
The latest models—like the ones Mayanei Hayeshua hopes to acquire—feature mini-ventilators, cardiorespiratory monitors, infusion pumps, and pulse oximeters to continuously track and support vital functions. They’re also built with shock absorption systems to minimize the jostling that can endanger fragile infants during movement between departments or to another facility.
In Israel, these features have a second, life-saving role: protection during emergencies. When rockets target populated areas, including hospitals, Mayanei Hayeshua’s underground facility becomes the only safe haven for its smallest patients. Without reliable, modern transport incubators, every transfer becomes a high-risk operation.
The Cost of Saving Lives
The financial challenge is significant. Each new transport incubator costs approximately CAD$141,450. But the real cost of not upgrading could be measured in lives.
According to studies published in neonatal care journals, maintaining stable thermoregulation during the first hour of life reduces neonatal mortality by up to 30%, particularly among preterm infants. Even minor temperature fluctuations during transfer can increase the risk of complications such as respiratory distress, hypoglycemia, and infections. For hospitals like Mayanei Hayeshua, which handle an exceptionally high birth volume, the need for dependable, next-generation incubators is both urgent and ongoing.
Hope, Compassion, and Resilience
Despite these challenges, Mayanei Hayeshua remains a place defined not by scarcity but by hope. Every day, its staff delivers more than just medical care—they deliver reassurance to thousands of families that their babies are receiving the best possible start in life.
Dr. Gryn’s message captures that hope perfectly:
“We’ve seen huge advancements in neonatal medicine in the last few decades. The science is there. The technology is there. What we need now is the means to bring it to our hospital—to give every premature baby the chance they deserve.”
The story of Mayanei Hayeshua is one of faith meeting innovation, of courage in the face of conflict, and of a community that refuses to let circumstance determine a child’s fate. As Israel continues to navigate uncertain times, the hospital’s commitment remains unwavering: to safeguard every life, no matter how small.
